Mike Sonnenberg, Author at Lost In Michigan

The Historic Manistee Fire Hall – Michigan Historical Marker

Posted on December 6, 2015 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Fire Houses .

In early October 1888, the Manistee City Council hired Frederick Hollister of Saginaw, the architect of Manistee’s principle school, to design a fire hall to replace the original station, which was constructed in 1872 – 1873 on Filer Street. Later that month the Manistee Democrat predicted that the city’s new fire hall would be “a model of convenience and usefulness.” Constructed of brick, cut-stone and French plate glass and trimmed with galvanized iron, this Romanesque Revival-style building was constructed by the local firm of Brownrigg and Reynolds at a cost of $7,516. The dome is covered with copper. The hall opened in June 1889 when Manistee’s first “fire truck,” a horse-drawn steam engine, was brought from the original hall. It is the oldest continually operated fire station in Michigan

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The Old State Prison in Jackson

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Michigan Historical Markers .

The first state prison opened in 1838 near Jackson and started with a temporary wooden prison. In 1839 the first 35 prisoners were received. It started with three log cabins, and walls built with huge wide logs, almost like a fur traders post and 7 of the original 35 prisoners escaped over the walls. Then two years after it opened, on a foggy night June 1, 1840, 10 of the 85 inmates dug their way out of the cabins and escaped. The fugitives terrorized the community, robbing banks and becoming known as the Jackson Robber Gang. It took two years to finally capture eight of them

In 1861 the west end of the prison complex was completed to house prisoners of the civil war and it was quickly overcrowded. John Morris, the warden from 1870 to 1875, was prosecuted for his brutality to prisoners. The assistant warden, 33 inmates, firefighters, doctors and seemingly anyone else involved in prison life testified at his trial. Morris had a wonderful demeanor to the outside world, but inside the prison, he became a monster. Morris once had a prisoner whipped 63 times. Another, who had suffered an injury to an arm during the Civil War, was tied against a wall with wet leather bands at the wrists and ankles. By the time the bands had dried and the man was untied, his arm was so severely injured it had to be amputated.

Beginning in the 1880’s under Warden H. F. Hatch a greater emphasis was placed on education and rehabilitation of prisoners.Female prisoners were at the Michigan State Prison with the men up until 1882. Sarah Havilland poisoned her own children because she couldn’t feed them. Yet inside the prison she became the much beloved caregiver to the warden’s children, who at the time lived onsite. By 1882, it was the largest walled prison in the world and a quarter the size of Jackson in terms of population.

On September 1, 1912, a riot that is described by many as the worst riot in the prison’s history began. The first sign of trouble was when inmates starting throwing plates against the walls of the dining halls. Many fights followed after this and the riot lasted for six days. On the sixth day, the 90 or so inmates that were leading the riot were beaten and the riot eventually came to an end, but not until after the governor had called in the National Guard.

In 1928, construction of a new prison north of Jackson began and the inmates were moved to the new facility. the old prison was closed in 1934 and at the time there were 3,840 prisoners which were too many for the facility to handle, despite the many additional cell blocks that were added through the years.

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Lost In Michigan Calendars are back in stock and On SALE

Posted on November 21, 2015 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Uncategorized .

Calendars make a great gift for all your Michigan friends, I got some more after running out of the first run I had printed. Now is the perfect time to order while they are on sale and in stock so you will have them in before Christmas. you can get one HERE

Thank you to everyone who got one already, the calendar sales help me with expenses to do this website and it really means a lot to me that you like what I do enough to purchase one.

The Haunted Silos of DeHoCo

Posted on November 6, 2015 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Haunted Places .

Traversing the back roads of Southeastern Michigan I stumbled upon this group of old abandoned silos on the corner of 5 Mile and Ridge road in Plymouth Township. I see old barns and silos all around Michigan and wonder about their history, unfortunately, I rarely find out anything and it remains a mystery. With this strange group of silos, I did find some interesting info. Doing some research on the internets I found some references to the “Haunted Silos” which claims the silos were part of a prison farm built by the Detroit House of Corrections and the silos were part of a large complex built in 1920. The complex was used until a new prison was built down the road in 1931. I don’t know if it’s haunted, but I can see why it got the moniker if it was part of an abandoned correctional facility.

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9 Haunted or Spooky Spots in Michigan Part 2

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Haunted Places .

Michigan has some fascinating history and along with that history comes some eerie ghost stories, I am not an expert in ghosts but I do like an interesting story at a historical place. Here are some of the places I have seen in the past year that have some tales of being haunted.

Seul Choix Point Lighthouse, Gulliver MI

In 1910,lighthouse keeper Joseph Willie Townsend passed away while in the bedroom that is located upstairs. he was known for smoking Cigars and his wife despised it, rumor has it you can still smell cigar smoke over a 100 years later. you can read more HERE

Blood Road, Metemora

There is a ghost story about a man that murdered his wife on this road and the body was dumped into the swamp, and at night, the swamp turns red. You can read about it HERE

Grousehaven Cellar Lupton

This cellar at the Rifle River Recreation Area is about all the remains of Grousehaven Lodge, I am not sure if it is haunted, but it sure is spooky, and there are rumors that the Purple Gang used the lodge too. you can read more HERE

Hoyt Library Saginaw

Hoyt Library was built atop the grounds of the original Saginaw jail, known for its violent and ruthless inmates during the lumbering era. A documentary film about the Library ” A Haunting at the Hoyt Library” will be shown at the Temple Theater, info can be found HERE

Indian Boarding School Mount Pleasant

An old Native American cemetery is on or near the property and 174 undocumented children died at the school. To go along with its history as a mental institution, it is rumored to be haunted, you can read more about it HERE

Sheldrake Ghost Town

Near Paridise is the old Ghost Town of Sheldrake, there are stories of the area being haunted by an old sea captain who stands on the dock. He has a pipe and a cape and he is usually seen from the lake, as boats approach the shore, he fades away and disappears. you can read more HERE

Page House St Louis

after posting a photo of this house people told me it was haunted and a woman who grew up in the house told me she felt and head the presence of a spirit in the house which she believed it was Narcissa Page the woman who had the house built. you can read about it HERE

Richard C Burtis House Watrouseville
this photo of the Richard C Burtis house was one of my first pics I posted when I started this website. the owner contacted me about the house and have started a facebook page about their efforts restoring it and have said there have been strange noises and lights and have had a paranormal team investigate it. you can follow their facebook page HERE

Charles Lee House Saginaw

I am not sure this house is haunted but it is spooky. This red brick queen Ann house in Saginaw was built by Lee in the 1870’s. His house was the only lumber barons house built along the Saginaw River. He was married 3 times (his first two wives died) and had eight children seven of which were present when he died in the house in 1899. you can read more about it HERE

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The Haunted Ghost Town of Pere Cheney

Posted on October 4, 2015 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Haunted Places, Historic Places .

I heard about this Pere Cheney ghost town and had a few requests to take some pics of it. I was there on a cold and rainy day. It’s about 10 miles southeast of Grayling in Crawford county. Pere Cheney was a lumbering town that was established in 1874 and was one of the largest towns in the region at the time. The population grew to about 1500 people but in 1893 diphtheria spread throughout the village killing most of its population. Again in 1897 diphtheria returned and by 1917 there were 18 people left in the town and it was sold off in an auction. Since then all the buildings are gone and there is just a cemetery that remains about a mile south of where the town once stood.

One of the few remaining tombstones

Pere Cheney Tombstone

Now that you know a little of the history you can see why there are ghost stories surrounding this area. There are reports of lights in the woods and they say you can hear children playing, and sometimes they leave handprints on the cars when you visit. I don’t believe much in ghosts, but I do like a good story, and I am a history buff. I figure why not stop and get a few pics while I am there. Only a few headstones remain in the graveyard and many are broken or have fallen over. But that does not stop visitors from leaving flowers and coins.

Pere Cheney Cemetery

Where the town once stood there is a lot of moss growing on the trees, they say nothing grows there but that’s not true. There is wild grass growing and I even found some wildflowers. As for the moss, it grows on a lot of the trees, but I have seen it in other areas of the woods around there so it’s not unique. There are some depressions in the ground and I read online that these are where the buildings used to be.

Where the town once stood

Moss growing on the trees

The spooky thing to me was, it’s in the middle of nowhere. Railroad tracks pass thru the area and it’s where the town got supplies from many years ago before there were cars and trucks. It’s rather secluded and it is strange to see a cemetery in the middle of the woods like it is. If I hadn’t known it was there, and I came across it by accident, it would have really spooked me.

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Waterfalls in Michigan You Must See other than Tahquamenon

Posted on October 3, 2015 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Uncategorized, Waterfalls .

I do love Tahquamenon Falls, and they are Michigan’s most famous and visited falls, but there are several other waterfalls to see in the Mitten State, here are some of my favorites.

Sable Falls

Sable Falls are located in Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore, at the east end of the park a few miles west of Grand Marais on H-58. It’s about a half mile walk from the parking to the falls and a set of stairs that takes you to the base of the falls. there are enough stairs to make you think ” wow this is a lot of steps” but it’s worth it once you get there and then relize it was not to bad of a climb.

Sable Falls

Black River Falls

The Black River Falls are 8 miles south west of Ishpeming off of Country Road 581 in the Escanaba River State Forest. there is a small parking area in the woods and the river and falls are nearby maybe 100 yards, the interesting thing about this water fall are the enormous boulders in the river, I climbed out onto them to get a better view of the falls.

Black River Falls

Wagner Falls

Wagner Falls are located south of Munising, on the east side of MI-94 just south of the MI-28 MI-94 junction. There is small parking area and a sign with a boardwalk that leads to the falls and is an easy waterfall to access.

Wagner Falls

Eagle River Falls

Eagle River Falls are in Eagle River, on MI-26. This is a roadside falls. There is a small park and a pedestrian bridge where you can get a nice view of the falls. There is an old dam at the top of the falls. The falls used to power the Lake Superior Safety Fuse Factory. I like to stop by and see these falls on my way up to the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse.

Eagle River Falls

Bond Falls

This is Bond Falls way over on the western side of the U.P. on Bond Falls Rd, east of Pauding MI. This is the second larges waterfall in Michigan and the water flow is controlled by a dam so it always has a good flow water cascading over the rocks. It is also a state scenic site and if you have a recreation passport on you cars registration you are all set. if not you have to stop and pay at the post, but this is definitely a don’t miss waterfall.

Bond Falls

Laughing Whitefish Falls

The falls can be found off of M-94, about 30 miles from Munising or Marquette, and just outside of Chatham. the falls are one of the highest in Michigan and cascade down a rocky face. It is difficult to get a photo of just how large these falls are and it is a must see to appreciate them. after a short hike down a trail in the woods you can view the falls from the top or get your exercise for the day and go down the stairs to the bottom.

Laughing Whitefish Falls

Adler Falls

Alder Falls are located about 20 miles north of Marquette on County Road 550 near Big Bay Michigan is one of my favorite falls to visit, you have to drive down a two-track of the main road, then from there you have hike down a steep ravine to get to it. it is nice a secluded so there are few people there when I visit. you can just sit there and soak up nature and listen to the falls.

Adler Falls

Ocqueoc falls

I love taking photos of Waterfalls but most of them are in the U.P. and a long trip for the weekend for me. Did you Know Ocqueoc Falls is in the L.P. I was traveling between Onaway and Rogers City and came across the falls, I knew there was a waterfall in the area but forgot about it until I saw the sign. It is a wonderful waterfall and park that was recently updated.

Ocqueoc Falls

Seven Bridges Recreation Area

Seven Bridges area between Kalkaska and Rapid City on Valley road is a beautiful place to walk around and take in the wonders of Mother Nature. It has a few small water falls some cute little foot bridges and several streams all in about an acre and it’s easy to walk around. If your a leaf peeper looking at the fall colors this is an excellent place to visit.

Seven Bridges Recreation Area

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The Beautiful Alcona Dam near Glennie

Posted on September 30, 2015 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Dam .

The Alcona hydro-electric dam on the Au Sable River is capable of producing 8,000 kilowatts. It is currently named after the county where it is located, but was originally named for a nearby road called Bamfield. Work began on Bamfield Dam in 1917, but the project stalled due to unstable sand and World War I. Construction resumed in 1923, and Alcona Hydro began commercial operation in 1924. The drop in elevation is approximately 30 feet, depending on the time of year.

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The Notorious Purple Gang and Their Connections to Mid-Michigan

Posted on September 22, 2015 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Bars and Restaurants, Forgotten Places, small towns .

Whenever I mention the Purple Gang many people ask me who they were because they never heard of them, which surprises me since they were one of the most ruthless and violent gangs in America. In 1916 Michigan adopted the Damon Act, which prohibited liquor effective in 1917, three years before national Prohibition, prompting bootleggers to smuggle booze from Canada to Detroit and the Purple Gang (sometimes referred to as the Sugar House Gang) was the mob that monopolized the flow of alcohol in Detroit. After prohibition was the law of the land about 40% of the illegal liquor came into the U.S. From Canada and the Purples distributed it with Capone being one of their many customers. The Gang was one of the most violent in America and it is rumored that the Purple Gang had a hand in the St Valentines Day Massacre. They were also suspects in the Lindbergh baby kidnapping and the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa.

The part of the Purple Gangs history that always interested me is their connection to central Michigan.

In Clare, the murder of gangster attorney Isaiah Leebove in 1938 was indirectly due to the Purple Gang. Oil promoter Jack Livingston had a disagreement with Leebove who was a Purple Gang associate. Convinced Leebove was going to have the Purple Gang kill him, Livingston shot and killed Leebove in the tap room at the Doherty Hotel before the Purple Gang could come after him.

A popular hangout for the Purple Gang was The Graceland Ball Room in Lupton. The building was built in the late 1920’s by “One Arm” Mike Gelfand a member of the Purple Gang, no one knows where the money came from to build it but many speculate it was from the Purple Gang. Al Capone was had visited it several times to do business and supposedly the rustic log interior had bullet holes in a few of the logs, sadly it burnt down in the early 1980s.

Not far from the south branch of Au Sauble river in northern Michigan on property once owned by William Durant, the founder of General Motors the “Detroit Partnership” a group of Detroit Mafia families built one of the largest ranches in Michigan history and the members of the Purple Gang were frequent visitors. The various barns surrounding the primary residence resembled modern day airplane hangars. They included an indoor horse riding area, dance parlor, interlinking tunnels and hidden rooms The property spanned acres and included a private runway, hunting area, servant quarters, junkyard, and an Olympic-sized pool. The house itself was involved in gang related activities for years. frequently visited by Jimmy Hoffa and is believed to be by some his “final resting place”. It was even searched upon his disappearance., and it was rumored to be the site of dozens of mafia-style executions. After being seized for tax evasion, the ranch laid dormant for years and eventually demolished. The property is now part of Forest Dunes Golf Club.

The purple gang was also rumored to have used Grousehaven Lodge which was built by auto magnate Harry Jewett which is currently part of the Rifle River Recreation Area. you can read the interesting story of Grousehaven HERE

There were also Ties to the J G Schemm Brewery in Saginaw. After the repeal of Prohibition, a group of investors from Detroit tried to get a license to brew beer at the old brewery. The state would not issue them a license, because of suspected connection to the Purple Gang. you can read about the brewery HERE

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The Strange death of the Sparling men in Tyre

Posted on September 13, 2015 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Haunted Places, Murders .

The tombstone of John Wesley Sparling in the Tyre Cemetery

The village of Tyre near Ubly in the Thumb was named after the Biblical place of Tyre because of its stony terrain, but it was the mysterious death of John Wesley Sparling and his sons that the town is most noted for. One June day, John Wesley quit work midday, clutching his stomach. His oldest son Peter rode his horse at breakneck speeds to fetch Dr. Robert A. MacGregor, who diagnosed a kidney ailment. John Wesley died on July 8, 1909, and was laid to rest in the Tyre Cemetery. The whole community attended the service. A year later Peter staggered from a field where haying was in progress and died 5 days later. Albert, the next oldest Sparling, became ill in church a year after Peter died; he suffered the exact symptoms as Peter and his father and died after a short struggle for life on 03 May 1911. On August 4th 1911 the strange symptoms struck a third Sparling son, Scyrel. Dr. MacGregor called in a colleague, Dr. Conboy, to examine Scyrel. Dr. Conboy suspected poisoning and reported the same to local authorities. Scyrel grew worse and died 14, Aug 1911 leaving only the youngest son, Raymond alive.

The prosecutor ordered the examination of Scyrel’s organs and they were sent to the University of Michigan which they reported finding arsenic. The body of Albert was exhumed and examined with identical findings, death by arsenic poisoning. Dr. MacGregor was arrested and tried for the murders of the four men in a trial which gained national attention. The prosecutor presented a case that John Wesley Sparlings wife Carrie was having an affair with the good doctor, and that he had her take out life insurance policies on her children who were strong and healthy at the time. Dr. MacGregor was found guilty of murder in the first degree and sentenced to life in prison.

the old abandoned grain elevator in the once booming town of Tyre

After Michigan Governor Ferris received an appeal on MacGregor’s behalf, he had the case re-investigated. The results of the re-investigation were not made public, so it is not known what facts it established. Nevertheless, in 1916, the Governor issued MacGregor a full and unconditional pardon. The Governor took the unusual step of having MacGregor brought to the state capital at Lansing where he handed him the pardon personally. In his statement the Governor said, “I am firmly convinced that Dr. MacGregor is absolutely innocent of the crime for which he was convicted.” The Governor shortly thereafter appointed MacGregor as the official state doctor to the Jackson prison where he had just been an inmate, again without explanation., MacGregor died In 1928.

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